Information translation communication protocol

Abstract

An inventive procurement system includes a requisition system for special item purchases that are not found when searching a catalog database. Using the requisition system the buyer is provided with the desired item while the information associated with the requisition is selectively added to a rule-based knowledge base as well as to an item database. In a preferred embodiment a common language generator has been used to normalize free form data using pre-determined rules to place the data into a class/attribute/value relationship. By having the item requisition follow the same relationship, the pre-determined rules may be updated and the free-form data associated with the item properly coded for inclusion into an item database.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0001]The present invention relates in general to a procurement system. More specifically, the invention relates to a procurement system where a user completes a structured requisition form based predominantly on pre-existing normalized relationships to order an item not available in a catalog database. The form is used to specify the desired item and to selectively create updated normalized relationships for use in identifying the new item so that it and similar items may be placed in the catalog database when free form data is examined using the normalized relationships.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]Procurement systems are well known. A buyer searches a catalog or a catalog database, locates material of interest, and places an order. A supplier then fulfills the order. However, special orders greatly complicate and slow down the entire procurement process as well as greatly increasing procurement expense. In practice, a buyer who cannot find an item locate...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0008]A key advantage of the present invention is that both the catalog database as well as the special requisition are normalized using predetermined rules related to class, attribute, and value relationships that are already knows to the back office, and must be followed by the buyer to create the special requisition. Generally, these rules are stored in a knowledge base. When the back office receives free form item data, the free form data is processed through the knowledge base to create the normalized database that a user searches. The rules used to create the normalized database are made available to the buyer to locate a specific item.

[0009]Thus, when making a special requisition for an item not in the database, the buyer first identifies the item using all available class, attribute, and value relationships used to create the normalized database. The remaining class, attribute and value relationship information required to uniquely identify the desired special item are then suggested by the buyer and forwarded to the back office.

[0010]The back office uses the pre-existing information identified by the buyer to pre-select potential suppliers that are already associated with the selected classes, attributes, and values and automatically forwards the special requisition to them. Thus, no human intervention is required.

[0011]One or more of the suppliers review and revise the special requisition using the same relationship approach as followed by

Problems solved by technology

However, special orders greatly complicate and slow down the entire procurement process as well as greatly increasing procurement expense.

However, no order is even placed until a potential supplier and related cost and delivery information is provided to the buyer for consid

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